Exploring the Digital Music Instrument Trombosonic with Extreme Users and at a Participatory Performance

We introduce the “Trombosonic” as a new digital music instrument inspired by the slide trombone. An ultrasonic sensor combined with a red laser allows the performer to play the instrument using similar movements to playing a trombone to change the pitch, despite the absence of a physical slider, by moving one hand back and forth. Additional sensors enhance the potential for musical expression by movement of the whole interface and by using the breath. We identify and discuss a variety of design issues arising from the Trombosonic. Due to its compact size and the lack of a slider, the Trombosonic can be played in many different ways. In order to explore varied potential uses of the Trombosonic, we carried out a series of informal evaluations. These included experts in new musical instruments, an older user, a younger user, an interaction design expert, and the audience at an experimental concert with audience participation. Future work is also discussed. Further technical development might include a built-in microphone to use the human voice and an expansion of the synthesiser’s features

The annual number of breeding adults and the effective population size of syntopic newts (Triturus cristatus, T-marmoratus)

Pond-breeding amphibians are deme-structured organisms with a population genetic structure particularly susceptible to demographic threats. We estimated the effective number of breeding adults (N-b) and the effective population size (N-e) of the European urodele amphibians Triturus cristatus (the crested newt) and T. marmoratus (the marbled newt), using temporal shifts in microsatellite allele frequencies. Eight microsatellite loci isolated from a T. cristatus library were used, five of which proved polymorphic in T. marmoratus, albeit with high frequencies of null alleles at two loci. Three ponds in western France were sampled, situated 4-10 kilometres apart and inhabited by both species. Parent-offspring cohort comparisons were used to measure N-b; samples collected at time intervals of nine or 12 years, respectively, were used to measure N-e. The adult population census size (N) was determined by mark-recapture techniques. With one exception, genetic distances (F-ST) between temporal samples were lower than among populations. N-b ranged between 10.6 and 101.8 individuals, N-e ranged between 9.6 and 13.4 individuals. For the pond where both parameters were available, N-b/N (overall range: 0.10-0.19) was marginally larger than N-e/N (overall range: 0.09-0.16), which is reflected in the temporal stability of N. In line with the observed differences in reproductive life-histories between the species, N-b/N ratios for newts were about one order of magnitude higher than for the anuran amphibian Bufo bufo. Despite of the colonization of the study area by T. cristatus only some decades ago, no significant genetic bottleneck could be detected. Our findings give rise to concerns about the long-term demographic viability of amphibian populations in situations typical for European landscapes

Experimence: Considerations for Composing a Rock Song for Interactive Audience Participation

In popular music genres, typical songs are pre-composed and leave little or no space for improvisation during a live performance. That applies for the performing musicians as well as for the spectators in terms of interactive audience participation. In this study we question these improvisational limits and try to identify strategies for involving the audience as an additional and unpredictable factor in a pre-composed rock song. To do so we composed “Experimence” guided by the standard practice of song writing. The song was premiered at a public live concert where the audience could collaboratively participate in real-time by playing with a balloon together throughout the song. Using a Wizard of Oz technique, the movements of the balloon influenced the live music played by the pianist. We reflect across this experience and present notable issues raised during the composition, rehearsals and the actual performance. We then classify these aspects as abstract variables of consideration for a composition meant to promote such audience participation. We propose this proof of concept as a starting point for further discussion, suggesting that a song such as Experimence can be a unique and individual piece of music every time it is played although largely pre-composed

Verrucous carcinoma

Verukozni karcinom je redka oblika kožnega raka. Gre za nizko maligno obolenje, ki se pojavlja na koži, na sluznici ustne votline in v genitoanalnempodročju. Bolezen je kronična in kasno metastazira v regionalne bezgavke. Diferencialno diagnostično moramo upoštevati kronične piodermije, plantarne bradavice, keratoakantom in amelanotični maligni melanom. Pravočasno, najbolje kirurško zdravljenje pomeni bolnikovo popolno ozdravitev.Verrucous is a rare clinical picture of the skin cancer. It is a disease of low malignancy. Usual locations are on the skin, in the oropharyngeal mucosa and in the genitoanal region. Verrucous carcinoma is a chronic disease, with alate proggression in the regional lymph nodes. In the differential diagnostics, plantar warts, keratoacanthoma, amelanotic malignant melanoma as well as different pyodermias have to be excluded. Early surgical tratment usually means a total recovery for patients

Epigenetic Patterns Maintained in Early Caenorhabditis elegans Embryos Can Be Established by Gene Activity in the Parental Germ Cells

Epigenetic information, such as parental imprints, can be transmitted with genetic information from parent to offspring through the germ line. Recent reports show that histone modifications can be transmitted through sperm as a component of this information transfer. How the information that is transferred is established in the parent and maintained in the offspring is poorly understood. We previously described a form of imprinted X inactivation in Caenorhabditis elegans where dimethylation on histone 3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me2), a mark of active chromatin, is excluded from the paternal X chromosome (Xp) during spermatogenesis and persists through early cell divisions in the embryo. Based on the observation that the Xp (unlike the maternal X or any autosome) is largely transcriptionally inactive in the paternal germ line, we hypothesized that transcriptional activity in the parent germ line may influence epigenetic information inherited by and maintained in the embryo. We report that chromatin modifications and histone variant patterns assembled in the germ line can be retained in mature gametes. Furthermore, despite extensive chromatin remodeling events at fertilization, the modification patterns arriving with the gametes are largely retained in the early embryo. Using transgenes, we observe that expression in the parental germline correlates with differential chromatin assembly that is replicated and maintained in the early embryo. Expression in the adult germ cells also correlates with more robust expression in the somatic lineages of the offspring. These results suggest that differential expression in the parental germ lines may provide a potential mechanism for the establishment of parent-of-origin epigenomic content. This content can be maintained and may heritably affect gene expression in the offspring

ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling Factors and Their Roles in Affecting Nucleosome Fiber Composition

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors of the SNF2 family are key components of the cellular machineries that shape and regulate chromatin structure and function. Members of this group of proteins have broad and heterogeneous functions ranging from controlling gene activity, facilitating DNA damage repair, promoting homologous recombination to maintaining genomic stability. Several chromatin remodeling factors are critical components of nucleosome assembly processes, and recent reports have identified specific functions of distinct chromatin remodeling factors in the assembly of variant histones into chromatin. In this review we will discuss the specific roles of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors in determining nucleosome composition and, thus, chromatin fiber properties

Pits versus patterns: effects of transponders on recapture rate and body condition of Danube crested newts (Triturus Dobrogicus) and common spadefoot toads (Pelobates Fuscus)

During a long-terrn study (1987-1996) near Vienna (Austria), individual Danube crested newts (Trititrus dobrogicus) and cornmon spadefoot toads (Pelobates fuscus) were registered by photographs of highly variable Skin patterns, and the implantation of Passive lntegrated Transponders (PIT tags). To test for potential detrirnental efficts of the electronic tags, we cornpared within-year (for P. fiiscus) and between-year (for T. dobrogiczts) recapture rates and body condition index (CI) of individuals rnarked with the two altcrnative techniques. No significant negative effects of PIT tags on CI and recapture rate could be dernonstrated for either spccies. There was a decrease in body condition and recapture rates in the study years 1995 and 1996, but can be attributed to population trends rather than to the different rnarking rnethods. For recaptured T ~iobrogicusa 10.5% loss of PIT tags was observed

Possibilities for developing basic motor skills in floorball in the age category 8 - 10 flight

Úkolem mé bakalářské práce bylo sestavit tréninkový program zaměřený na nácvik HČJ ve florbalu pro cílovou skupinu elevů ve věkové kategorii 8 ? 10 let a následně sestavit testovací baterii. Poté hráče otestovat ve vstupním testování, aplikovat tréninkový program v praxi a nakonec provést výstupní testy a vyhodnotit je. Obsah práce je rozdělen na dvě části. Teoretickou, kde jsou všeobecné informace jako historie, charakteristika věkové kategorie, metodika a popis základních dovedností jednotlivce. Druhá část obsahuje popsání vytvořeného tréninkového programu a jeho ověření v praxi, popis testovací baterie, ukázky tréninkových jednotek a interpretaci výsledků.Katedra tělesné a sportovní výchovyObhájenoThe task of this thesis was to create a training program focused on practicing the Floorball individual playing activity for the target of group Elev in ages of 8 - 10 years and then assemble the test battery. Subsequently to test players in the input test, apply a training program in the end of practice, at the end perform a final test and evaluate them. The work is divided into two parts. Theoretical, where are general information, such as history, characteristic of age category, methodology and description of the basic skills of the individual. The second part contains a description of the created training program and its evaluation in practice, a description of the test battery, examples of training units and interpretation of results